It sounds embarrassing, too much hyped at times and very much overstated when we talk of our educational institutions. Big they are the schools, bigger the colleges and yet bigger is what is being expected. But let me tell you as does the law of diminishing marginal utility, richer the schools are, sophisticated are the facilities are, lesser and much worse will be the harvest. Well mannered and good for nothing pappoos are what are going to walk out.
Coming straight to what I want to tell , the education system we boast of, the standard level of schooling we are so proud of, has only been a failure, a failure ever since it has begun to materialize.
No I am not speaking of the teachers, nor am I stating the training provided in the schools is inadequate. But it is the means, the way I am talking of. The method of education has been an utter flop. It is evident too, in the reducing number of school going children, whatever the governments and corporates do to draw children to the school. The children do not want to study or much precisely are obsessed by the ways the classes are done.
Quoting the experiences of children from all walks of life_ rich and poor, educated in a wide variety of schools, ranging from local elementary schools to a branded convent schools, Christian institutes to government colleges, they have had enough. Being average students, they have always feared of schools. Be it the jumble of solving math sums, the difficulty of attending boring lectures or doing rigorous practical work, they have always been bothered by the way they were, pained by way the schools are- rigid and reluctant to change.
There are students, a lot of students who are cool with their studies. They attend classes on tome, home works completed all the time, notes too neat and marks very clean. They do well in sports, get higher ranks, find decent jobs and make the people happy. Let us not talk of them, they are happy simple geniuses and are grounded at that. We need to speak of those hundreds of students who are the converse, they don’t attend the classes, and they do not do their home works well, scores not too good and mostly are termed morons. Why does this role reversal actually happen? Is this mere irresponsibility and laziness on the part of the pupils or what else?
The biggest lethality of the whole system lies here. It is not just the lethargy of the kid that makes him dull. Such low performing children have never been the lazybones reluctant study, rather it is the utter burden meted on them that makes them eschew schools. For how do we attribute it is just the same way each kid thinks if one. Isn’t there anything called differed thinking abilities.
If one child finds it absolutely cool to sit for hours in a class listening to what the teachers say, another child may take in much by doing it i.e., in the practical sessions, yet another child may have an altogether different way of learning things. When we find it acceptable the an individual has his own ways of expression, why don’t we accept that each individual – a child, here- has his own ways of learning too.
There are reasons why there is debate on the issue of a change in the methods of learning. The reason being the raising awareness that learning is too much different from what education is and it is through proper learning that education can be achieved. Education tells us what things are, it tells what an amoeba is, what is money and hoe governments are formed and it is through learning we know how things work and how do they win us our daily breads. Education stops at an age while learning continues.
There are a wide range of avenues that deserve to be looked at. If a kid fails doing math sums, it may mean it has comforts doing English essays or science projects and it also means that the math sums can be taught the way it likes. If a child finds it hard to play cricket but has fun dancing, it should not be a problem as both give the exercise that it needs, inability of a child to write its homework with zeal can be somehow compensated with its agility in theatres and plays. In a pinch, let the children learn what they want to, and let them learn better.
All this needs a hell lot of time to happen. And an abrupt change may lead to futile consequences too. We live amidst a cut throat competitive world and hence a change in the basic education is something to be done with consummacy of care. While how can an artist- a singer, a writer, a painter-survive amid flocks of professional capitalists is still a question yet to be answered, all that we can do is to hope the coming generations wake up with no frowns and rush to schools with bigger smiles ever
